Processing of Organic Film Models of Atmospheric Aerosols

Ozone and OH are two atmospheric constituents that will readily oxidize various organic compounds. We present measurements of oxidation of thin films and aerosols composed of saturated and unsaturated organic acids. These systems were chosen as proxies for surface reactions on organic aerosols known to be present in the atmosphere. Experiments have been performed to probe the gas- and condensed-phase products of the reactions of saturated compounds with the hydroxyl radical and of unsaturated compounds with ozone and the hydroxyl radical. The competition of these reactions will be investigated and their relevance in the atmosphere will be discussed.